inside joy

When the news of Bowie's death reached my world I did what probably many people did. I turned to the internet and read many heartfelt tributes in my FB newsfeed from friends and strangers. Each post, each person, offered up what he meant to him and her and what he brought to their lives. I followed the links that some of them posted to a news story or a video.

Many of those posts led me to the mind boggling and fabulous video archive, YouTube. There were songs I hadn't heard before. With the exception of The Labyrinth, I hadn't ever really seen him perform. He was so young when he launched his career. It spanned decades. In one day I got to see the entire span of it. From baby face Bowie singing Space Oddity to cancer laden Bowie singing his final Lazarus.

Next to his creativity, there was one thing about him that I could not get over. His Abs.

His long, lean frame revealed an important human physical element that I had not noticed before. Abs. Abs hold in our guts. Abs hold us upright. With weeks of reflection I've come to realize that Abs directly reflect how fundamentally safe we feel in the world. They are a mirror for our fundamental trust in ourselves and our ability to earn money, to have meaningful friendships, and a sense of belonging.

I looked at my own abs. My sweet belly poking out. My over worked diaphragm working to "suck it in." Suck that belly in. I squeezed the whole lot tight then breathed out and pppppffffffff. It was like emptying the air out of a balloon. Only this one was still round and soft.

I was nothing short of perplexed. Over the last four years, I've done thousands of crunches. My abdominal muscles are healthy and strong. But they weren't engaged.

I took this insight to my chiropractor. "So you want abs," she asked? "Yes."

Then she went to work on my tongue.

I was tongue tied. (It turns out, literally). I mean, what does my tongue have to do with my abs being toned and engaged?

That's another newsletter but she discovered a tongue tie. I have an extra ligament holding my tongue to the floor of my mouth. It prevents me from fully using the front half of my tongue. She was amazed that I could even talk. The gorgeous "work arounds" that my body had to do in my early development to allow me to speak left some confusion downstream, namely an overworked diaphragm and under worked abs.

Do you know what this means??? This is HUGE!!! I'm doing back flips here. It means that there's nothing wrong with me!!! I don't have a fat stomach. I may be to roll my Spanish r's someday. When I get back to more active sports like horse riding, running, and distance walking, my abs will support my diaphragm so I will no longer be holding my breath to breathe. All it will take is some time with my chiropractor and a simple little laser procedure and I will open up vast terrain in my body that I've never had access to until this point. It's like skiing off the back side or out of bounds for the first time. What a rush............

My message to you...There is nothing wrong with you either. I've believed this for a long time about all of us but this is just more proof that the things that we can be most critical about with ourselves can have very real explanations for them.

How do we discover what those are without ripping our souls apart with self-criticism?

Here's the recipe.

It takes an open mind, curiosity, and action to unravel the mysteries within ourselves. What we are really doing is asking our inner critic to offer up useful insights rather than destructive digs.

I like to call it mystery because that word softens the spotlight on your inner self. It softens the edges of your inquiries. It makes your inner critic a loving member of your team.

P.S. If you want to schedule a free discovery session and don't see a time that works for you just e-mail me by hitting reply or at kate@kateeskew.com and let me know 2 alternate times that work for you. I will be in touch!

When the Gregorian New Year started on January 1, 2016, I put my stake firmly in the ground. I committed to being more open with myself and others about my psychic and healing gifts. I committed to speaking out loud to myself and others and taking action on the inner whispers that I hear.

Since then, I've been flailing about getting clear on how to actually meet my commitment.

I had a burst of creative energy and in the last few weeks I offered psychic readings and energy healing sessions. I offered coaching services and Earth Rise Project. I made a trip to the coast to work on a sustainable plan for removing marine microplastic from Oregon's once pristine beaches. I've been in the groove with raising and tending to my beautiful daughters, hanging with my husband, and tidying my home. I was on top of the world.

Then it happened. My energy tanked. I mean seriously tanked. You see, in addition to the above, I'm constantly working deeply on my own personal growth. I do this to hone my skills, to elevate myself, and to also bring my evolving self to you. Sometimes that work fills me with energy and vitality. And sometimes it resets my nervous system so deeply that it's all I can do to get by. This doesn't upset me. I know that as I continue the work, my energy will be restored two-fold. The work I'm right doing now is having the latter effect.

When the crash came, I felt like I did during the years when I was really ill. I was in bed early and barely getting by on 10 hours of sleep. You read that right. 10 hours.

Then the gift came in. A gift that I fully received. Fatigue brings absolute clarity. What can I do in all states of energy? When I'm high, when I'm low, when I'm in between? I clearly had to choose. What do I LOVE the most?

Now some might wonder why I'm attempting to work at all. The answer is simple. Because I LOVE it. I LOVE my work. It brings me joy. It brings my clients joy.

I made my decision easily and with confidence. It's One-on-One Coaching and Earth Rise Project.

Why?

Because I LOVE going deep with people. I LOVE to be there when they go deep with themselves and drive their own stakes into their own ground. I LOVE to help them navigate through change to create their new paradigm. And I LOVE this planet, our Mothership.

Plus, I LOVE my kids. They'll be off to full day school before I know it. The end of my full time with them is right around the corner. With Coaching and Earth Rise, I can bring people into my fold and be with them, (my kids and clients), to the max.

So, if you or someone you know is interested in some deep coaching, schedule a free 20 minute discovery session by clicking here.

Last weekend I channeled Beetle. This wasn't the classic green beetle that we associate with being an auspicious sign of good things to come. No, this was a house beetle. One that is commonly thought of as a pest. The box elder beetle. This little friend had much to share. She was full of wisdom that we can use to navigate and to elevate our daily lives. To access the recording, click here.

The inner whispers have turned to roars for this project. It is time to launch it, to grow it. This is a membership based program with a significant charitable component. The impact grows as the membership grows. The natural world has been beating its drum at me. It wants me to get on it! I'm looking for help to build membership. If you or someone you know would be interested in making that happen, please hit reply and let me know.

P.S. If you want to schedule a free discovery session and don't see a time that works for you just e-mail me by hitting reply or at kate@kateeskew.com and let me know 2 alternate times that work for you. I will be in touch!

Shortly after my first child was born a force of fear pulsed through me and shocked me at the very core of my being. At that moment I realized how concerned I was about the state of the planet. I had brought this beautiful innocent into a beautiful and tumultuous world. I wasn't so worried about her being harmed by violence, though that's a possibility. I was crushingly concerned by the growing degradation of our environment. A degradation that is impacting the physical and emotional health of all of its inhabitants.

What followed was a psychic break that sidelined me for several years. During that time, I asked many many questions. I explored the meaning of life. I wanted to know why I was here. I wanted to know my life purpose. I wanted to know what I could do for work going forward. I researched endlessly. What I discovered still blows my mind. Mostly because the answers weren't what I thought they would be. My knowing and understanding of myself and the planet up to that point were transformed.

One of the things that I discovered is that I can converse with the natural world. Think of me as The Lorax. Or A Lorax to be more precise, for I am not the only one in the world.

Do you remember The Lorax? He's the little creature in Dr. Seuss,' The Lorax, who tells the Onceler to stop chopping down the Truffula Trees.

"I am The Lorax. I speak for the trees."

We learn that he speaks for all of the plants and animals as the Onceler slowly overthrows the balance of life as everyone knew it. Ultimately, he leaves a scourge of a place that grows nothing, that supports no life.

Unless...

It's not all hopeless. In fact, it's hopeful. The Onceler has one Truffula seed remaining. He knows if the right person (people) plants it that it's very possible for life to return to this devastated place. Why? Because The Lorax told him that too. The Lorax speaks for the trees, and the plants, and the animals. He would know.

Our planet is not a devastated scourge that cannot support life. In fact, it's very existence is around supporting life. Given a little love and attention, mother nature works miracles that are mind blowing. Talk to any habitat reclamation specialist, look at your own back yard. Wherever you've placed your attention or inattention to your natural world, you see the results. Mother nature just moves with it. When given a head start in places where she's out of balance, she'll take over and restore and maintain the natural world on her own. Isn't that amazing?

My husband is an amazing green thumb. No project is too big for him. Whether it's planting 200 tree seedlings in our forest, starting an orchard, cultivating a garden, or creating beauty with flowers and edibles around our house, he gets out there and does it.

I follow in his wake and talk to the plants. I attune their energy to their immediate world and to the world at large. I assist them in their growth and death cycles. I ease their aches. One time a tree a mile from my home "called" me to it. My feet were literally pulled by an energetic force down the road and into the edge of the woods of a neighboring property. When I discovered what my feet were being led to, I was amazed. I saw an enormous tree with a huge stake stuck in its root system. A little energy work cleared the agony that this tree was in.

From there, I started doing energy attunements for the Earth. Every week for 3 years I have sat down and tuned into the planet. I bring her medicine.

Now it's time to expand this work. It's time to grow a community that is curious about what the Earth has to say. It's time for Earth Rise Project. Originally, this was going to be focused on energy healing for the planet. As my first broadcast approaches, I'm being guided in a different direction. I'm being guided to be a Lorax. I shall speak for the natural world. We will learn directly what she wants. She will tell us what we can do to support her. She will tell us what we can do to support ourselves. She'll make us laugh. She will bring us joy.

This Month: Beetle

On Saturday, February 6, 2016 at 9:00 am Pacific, I will be channeling Beetle for an hour.

I invite you to join me for free. This is the last month that these calls will be free.

Every week I tune into the planet and ask her what wants to shift next.

This is how I was trained to practice my energy work, Accunect. I love this approach because it isn't me diagnosing and deciding how to administer medicine. The body of the recipient tells me what wants to shift, where it seeks support, what the body is ready for now.

This week Mother Earth said she wanted to balance Oneness.

I love this formula.

The Oneness formula connects you to the part of yourself that knows that you're connected.

It went deeper than that. As I started running the formula, Oneness came to life! Not only did Mother Earth want to balance Oneness, she wanted to connect Oneness with Oneness, to repair Oneness, to create Oneness. A generating cycle for Oneness is born, supported, continued.

If you who want to connect with Oneness this weekend or at any time, you can close your eyes, takes some deep breaths, put your hands over your head and your heart and think, "Oneness."

If you would like to experience the full benefits of Accunect with me, you can schedule yourself at any time. Just click the link below:

P.S. If you don't see a time that works for you but would like to sign-up, just e-mail me by hitting reply or at kate@kateeskew.com and let me know 2 alternate times that work for you. I will be in touch. Thank you.

"Your Storage Is Almost Full," reads my cell phone. No more pictures. No more files. It's full.

Little does my iPhone know the irony in this message. It makes me laugh and want to cry at the same time. My storage is full. My schedule is full. My house is full. My belly is full. Full. Full. Full.

Thank goodness for "The Life Changing Magic Of Tidying Up," by Marie Kondo. In case you missed it, I'm working my way through my home using the KonMari Method as my guide.

My little phone is reminding me to keep at it even when I feel overwhelmed. Even when I'm tired. Even when the kids get sick or my car breaks, like they did today. Cause if I don't keep at it, there won't be room for anything new to come into my life. And I want the new and the surprising to enter this instant!

You see, I believe in magic. I believe in creating space for it. I believe in cultivating it. I believe in courting it. I believe it loves to surprise and delight when I least expect it.

I know I'm missing some magic at times because I don't always see what's right in front of me. It's like not seeing the pen that's in plain view because of the peripheral clutter.

You know what I mean??? You've been there too, huh?

This tidying business is going really well. The girls and I are making great progress. We are having fun and the result is more delight with our things and in our living spaces. But there was one hurdle that I was unable to tackle alone. It loomed like a dark cloud. Until Grandma came to visit.

The stuffed animals overflowing from our toy chest and the inevitable negotiations with my children over its contents loomed large in our living room. I couldn't just make them disappear while the children were away. Yet the prospect of going through them with the girls filled me with dread for I lack the strength to do that on my own.

Thank goodness for Grandma. She loves to tidy. It wasn't easy but the joy of giving their reduced number of stuffies a new use as a chair thrilled them to no end. The toy chest closes. It is happily installed in their sleeping room. A large garbage bag full of stuffies is now on its way to brighten the days of children and seniors. And by comparison, our living room looks gorgeous.

Even better, we made room for the newly installed keyboard that my brother and his family gave the girls for Christmas. Dance parties abound in all the extra space we created in just a few short hours.

You see the magic here? Cultivated. Courted. Surprised and Delighted.

You wanna court magic?

Schedule a session with me. I'll take you there. Just click the link below:

P.S. If you don't see a time that works for you but would like to sign-up, just e-mail me by hitting reply or at kate@kateeskew.com and let me know 2 alternate times that work for you. I will be in touch. Thank you.

I haven't thought about David Bowie in years. Nor have I seen images of him until last Tuesday when the many faces of Bowie went rolling through my newsfeed in Facebook.

My reaction to his death is complex. While I was never one that called myself a fan, I LOVE his work. At least his 80's and 90's work. He fell off my radar after that. Until last week when he took center stage in a way that only Bowie can.

The girls and I have been watching videos and listening to his songs. Seeing the many incarnations of him all at once has been quite shocking to my system. I am in awe of his creativity. I am jealous of it. I am full of sorrow.

The Goblin King is dead.

He left many parting gifts. A new album. A farewell in his song and video, Lazarus. A show in New York City. All of this he created and released in the last 18 months of his life. He knew he was dying. He knew what he meant to his fans. With great care he went to work, preparing himself and the world for his death.

My head is swirling with that. I mean, this was an incredible undertaking. To make and release all of that material is mind blowing.

His message for me came through loud and clear in his song, Changes. He says, "Ch-ch-ch-changes, turn and face the strange..."

I feel like I've been pierced through the heart at full speed by a lance.

You see, I have gone down the strangest path I could imagine for myself in the last few years. Last year especially when I chose to believe that I was psychic and I got first rate training to develop my gift.

It was not an easy transformation. There were many times that I felt like I was going to die or lose myself in the immeasurable forces of the spirit realm. And yet, the unfolding was beautiful. I emerged transformed and spiritually resourced. Along the way, I married my energy medicine with my psychic medicine and my business experience and created a potent and unique set of skills . I did all of this for myself because I was incomplete as a person without it. But what kept me going was knowing that I could bring this to others. I developed and am continuing to develop that gift so that I can be of service to others.

With my training complete, I've been hiding. I've been putting my toe in. I've been reluctant and slow to reveal myself. How do I know this? Because I've been coming up with programs and products that nobody wants.

"Ch-ch-ch-changes. Turn and face the strange..."

Bowie has brought me to another brink. He's clearly telling me that I need to make a change. Have you been feeling that too? Well, I'm heeding the call. I'm not serving others the way I would like. That means I'm not serving myself the way I would like. It starts with me. That's how the ripples flow.

My guides told me at the end of last year to write.write.write.write. I've been preparing to write ever since. Have I started? No.

From this moment, I'm stepping into the writing channel. I will be writing at least one of these letters a week. Sometimes more. Be forewarned. If you don't want to receive extra e-mail, feel free to unsubscribe. I have so much to say and not enough time and space to do it once per week. I'm releasing myself from the once-per-week-publication-schedule-cause-someone-told-me-that's-how-to-do-it and publishing as I go.

With that, I cancelled my Eat, Drink, and Be Merry class. Bowie has put me firmly back on my path. I'm here to write.publish.write.publish.repeat. I'm here to empower those who are going through changes in their lives. I'm here to put my life and my house in order. I'm here to raise my children. And that's enough. Boom.

It's time for me to fully face the strange. The only way I can do that is to change the way I'm doing things. I need more upside down and backwards in my day. I need to spill my guts. How about you? Are you feeling it too? What are you doing to answer the call? I'd love to hear from you. Hit reply and let me know.

To get us warmed up, I'll start. In addition to more writing, it's time for me to bring you access to the strange. Here's my next ch-ch-change:

I'm opening up my schedule to Psychic Readings + Engergy Work. I realize that an intensive life coaching experience is not on your radar at the moment. However, I know that you have questions and troubles for which you seek answers. I know that you would appreciate and benefit from some guidance and direction that you can run with right now.

The Physic work illuminates your troubles and helps you to see them differently. The energy work helps to clear the energetic blocks within you that are holding you in a pattern from which you are ready to shift.

Yes, it's scary to think about having a psychic reading, especially if you've never had one before. I promise you they are illuminating and empowering. You will learn what steps you need to take to create the ch-ch-changes that you crave in your life.

Farewell Goblin King. Your gift to me is beyond measure.

Wishing you joy,

Kate

P.S. If you don't see a time that works for you but would like to sign-up, just e-mail me by hitting reply or at kate@kateeskew.com and let me know 2 alternate times that work for you. I will be in touch. Thank you.

In my dream my stepmother presented me with a beautiful sarcophagus. It was made especially for me and was part of a new ritual that was emerging in our culture.

"What is this?" I asked.

"It's your special box for being buried alive," she said.

"Are you kidding?"

She was not. She was serious. Then explained to me how it worked. All I had to do was lie in the box, take a special pill, and fall asleep. I would be closed into the box, then placed into another larger rectangular box, and lowered into the ground where I would pass into the unknown forever. There was an air of excitement around the potential of that.

"Try it out," she said.

So I laid down in the box. It was comfortable, made especially for me. It was beautifully adorned. It was lovely.

Until...

The lid slid up from my feet and was stopped just below my eyes, leaving my nose inside so that the air was not as fresh. I felt restricted.

But my stepmother was above me, holding the pink pill in between her thumb and index fingers so that I could see it. Her presence was comforting.

"Now, all you have to do is take the pill and the rest will be done for you."

"I'm not ready," I said.

"That's okay. Just think about it and come back tomorrow," she said.

"Has anyone else done this?" I asked.

"Oh yes! Your sister did it just yesterday."

I felt a chill run up my spine and I left quickly, never to return.

When I awoke, the questions began to surface.

Do I know when I'm following my own codes or swallowing the pill of someone else's story?

Am I listening to and acting on my own guidance or am I relying too heavily on "the experts" so that I don't have to be wrong or to think for myself?

Do I know when I am awake and when I am asleep?

Am I bowing to the house of dogma and making it my own or am I building my own temple stone by stone?

Am I staying alert and holding my line or am I casually ignoring clear boundaries, endangering myself and others? Am I holding that edge at its sweet spot or being too slack?

Where am I over committing to avoid my work? Where am I not committing to avoid my work?

Who's to say whether or not the burial would have benefited me. Was that my next level or my undoing? It certainly would have eliminated distraction. Upon reflection, I didn't know.

Here's one thing that I do know: We are all unique. Our needs evolve throughout our lifetime. In our uniqueness, our challenges, our questions, and curiosities, our needs overlap. And then we form community.

Today, I am forming a community around a fundamental reset to your approach to eating, drinking, exercising, and overall living so that you can experience joy at the most fundamental level. I am quite serious about this. There is a deeper well in life to be tapped, just waiting for you.

In this three part series, you will learn a new framework on how to hit your perfect weight and to create a steady flow of energy through diet, exercise, and outlook. Whether you're looking for a fresh start for the year or for your life, this class will deliver.

I'm not much of a resolution person. The timing of them doesn't jive with my creative cycle. I tend to work with ideas and projects on an ongoing basis. There's more of a natural flow to them than drawing a line between two days and saying, "my life starts in the new year!"

I do take stock, review, and consolidate my work. There's something about sitting down to do that review while there are people in my virtual community and in my various circles who are doing the same thing. Their energy carries me and motivates me to be thorough.

When that is complete, I emerge with my word for the year. Most years my word describes a feeling or state of being that I would like to achieve, like VITALITY, or GRACE. This year, it's all about action. My word is a verb.

Drum Roll, Please...

To Tidy.

I'm not talking about doing some light straightening up here. I'm talking about going through every single piece of paper, every single piece of clothing, every single photo, every single book, every single nick-knack and heirloom that I've been carrying around for my entire life and letting a ton of that shit go.

You see, I picked up Marie Kondo's, "The life-changing magic of tidying up." This little gem of a book shows me exactly what I need to do to organize and tidy up my home for good.

You see, I've changed A LOT. My belongings haven't matched my inner world for a while now. And I've been adding and adding to my new world for the last couple of years. This has left me with a lot of old and a lot of new. I'm buried. Buried by courses and papers and kid's toys, and photos, and everything else! Oh my!

If you haven't read the book or heard of her system, Marie's advice is nothing short of brilliant. She teaches to approach tidying not from the perspective of what to get rid of rather, what to keep.

Her criteria for keeping items: does it spark joy?

Awesome. I mean, being the creator of the Joy (R)Evolution, it's only natural that I would be drawn to her work.

This will be the theme of my writing for this year. Until I have finished this tidying project, I shall chronicle my progress and insights as I go. I have a feeling I'm going to dig up the unexpected and the delightful.

You see, all this stuff is weighing me down. I feel like I'm shackled by an enormous weight of stuff that's pulling me under. I spend so much time picking up kid things. I spend so much time looking for things that I put away. I spend so much time cleaning for our cleaner to come clean. I spend so much time on those things that I don't want to do forsaking time for what I do want to do.

To this I say, "ENOUGH!"

You see, I turn 40 next month. I've always considered 40 to be a magic number for me. I've been looking forward to turning 40 since I was 20. I've seen so many women hit their stride and really take off in their lives when they hit their 40's.

Now it's my turn. Finally!

I want my 40's to be all that I have dreamed of and more. So, I am starting this period of my life with a great big purge. I want to make room for the new and the wondrous to fully come in. I'm creating the space starting NOW.

I have to chuckle because before this became my theme for the year, my classes already reflect my desire to tidy. Check out what I have on tap below:

I am jumping into 2016 with some great programs. Here's what's in store. Be sure to sign up for at least one of my offerings in January to give yourself an awesome kick start to your year.

1. Earth Rise Project: On Saturday, January 9 at 9am Pacific, I will be holding my second Earth Rise Project telecall. This month, I'll be channeling: Honey Bee. Get your buzz on and find out what the bees want to tell us.

Investment: Free! (You do need to sign up to join live or to receive the recording)

In this three part series, you will learn a new framework on how to hit your perfect weight and to create a steady flow of energy through diet, exercise, and outlook. Whether you're looking for a fresh start for the year or for your life, this class is a must.

3. Joy Coaching: If you're ready for some joy infused transformation in your life in 2016, now's the time to coach with me. If you're on the verge of or have gone through a major change in your life and you're seeking stability infused with joy and freedom, schedule a free discovery session with me. Don't delay.

Ah, what a year it has been. I have been trying to sit down and reflect upon 2015. Somehow, I can't seem to settle myself down enough to sit quietly and let it pour over me. Maybe it's the excitement of the season that's keeping me in the air. Maybe it's the fatigue of a busy fall and the sleepy winter that wants to take over my rhythm. Maybe it's avoidance. Truth be told, it's all three.

It has been a most unexpected year. If you had told me 20 years ago that I would spend my 39th year learning how to tap into my psychic gifts and use them to bring insight and healing to others, I would have laughed and thought that was cool but would never have believed that I would actually do that.

And all of this writing? I've written and sent one a letter per week for the entire year. I used to think I wasn't good at writing. Now I'm contemplating writing a book!

I've spent the year turning myself inside out and upside down, detaching myself from my old codes, freeing myself from outdated world views that I had either formed on my own or picked up from others.

It has been a year of loss and of gorgeous new beginnings. Back in February, when the Board of Directors of Sweet Briar College announced its closure, I felt like my world was being torn apart. It's hard to imagine feeling that way about a school but Sweet Briar is built upon a community that has been deeply cultivated the years.

Well, the school was saved and the bonds of this community are unbreakable. I have made wonderful new friends through this eruption. Women and men that I never would have met if it weren't for a break down in a pieced together old system.

Which leads me to the theme that has been with me for the last 10 days: Good or Bad?

My school announced its closure: Good or Bad?

My finances are unstable: Good or Bad?

I have a cold: Good or Bad?

It has been fun to ask this question, especially when I'm lamenting just about anything. It doesn't matter what it might be. The physiological response in the body is the same regardless of the magnitude of the lamentation. I pause and ask myself, "Is this good or bad?" Inevitably I end up shrugging my shoulders and smiling because in the moment, I find that I really can't say which it is. Then I am present again.

Try it for yourself!

I am jumping into 2016 with some great programs. Here's what's in store. Be sure to sign up for at least one of my offerings in January to give yourself an awesome kick start to your year.

1. Earth Rise Project: On Saturday, January 9 at 9am Pacific, I will be holding my second Earth Rise Project telecall. This month, I'll be channeling: Honey Bee. Get your buzz on and find out what the bees want to tell us.

In this three part series, you will learn a new framework on how to create a steady flow of energy through diet, exercise, and outlook. Whether you're looking for a fresh start for the year or for your life, this class is a must.

3. Joy Coaching: If you're ready for some joy infused transformation in your life in 2016, now's the time to coach with me. If you're on the verge of or have gone through a major change in your life and you're seeking stability infused with joy and freedom, schedule a free discovery session with me. Don't delay.

Do you see that beautiful blue ball at the bottom of this letter? That's our Mothership. On it, life abounds. Your life, my life, our lives. They all abound here. You get to shape your life. You get to shape your reality. My wish for you is for a rich and meaningful 2016 and beyond.

Yesterday brought a fierce wind storm that brought down the weakened giants and sheared the branches clean off the mighty tall ones.

If you were to walk in the forest or on a treed road today, you'd see beautiful greenery littered all around. I've often marveled at these seemingly healthy looking bits of branches strewn about the ground. In fact, I've been puzzling over them for a few years now. For they look so lush and full of life. Why do they break free from their host?

My answer finally came to me during my Grief call last Saturday. This is nature's way of pruning. This is how the tree retains its life force for decades and even centuries. It loosens its attachments to its extremities and lets the wind carry the branches away. In doing so, the energy of the tree becomes more potent. Further, the branches return to the earth to nourish the growth and life of the living organisms around it. What an elegant cycle.

Grief serves the same purpose for us. Grief, fully felt and experienced, allows us to loosen our attachments to that which has passed from our lives or to that which currently no longer serves us so we can release it into the universal field where it is recycled and turned into nourishment for us.

For example, when my grandmother died in 2012 I locked my sorrow into my body and held it there for several months. When I finally sat with my grief and with her, my relationship with her changed dramatically. I released my attachment to her physical presence and in doing so opened up a new connection with her. In many ways my relationship with her now is deeper and more rich than when she was living. It's gone to the level that we would have liked to have but were unable to express in human form. All pretense and social conditioning are gone so we can talk about everything.

Do I still miss her? Yes. Do I still cry sometimes? Of course. And I rejoice in our nourishing relationship that could only come to pass by her passing.

The same is true for the evolution of relationships with yourself and with others. It's true for releasing an outdated career or lifestyle. Grief is the mechanism for releasing anything that no longer serves you.

Grief, fully processed, creates space for the new to come in. It creates space for you to invite in the old that does serve you and that you had moved away from until now.

I invite you to sit with your grief. To allow it to move through you. To step into the wonder of what lies beyond. If you would like a guide for this, you can purchase my Grief recordinghere.

Kate Eskew

Welcome. This is where I share what's on my mind and in my heart. You'll see that there's an offer to work with me in every letter. I'm shifting that as I go. Whether the offers excite you or turn you off I hope you find a juicy nugget or two in here that infuses you with more of you. Be kind to yourself because you rock. - Kate

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"Kate is a resource for life, both the ups and downs. She is my support for change and renewal." Medora Hackler, Portland, Oregon

Thanks so much for the Summer Solstice Call. I enjoyed it greatly. At one point I drifted away and when I drifted back I felt as if I had discovered a solution to something - I can't really remember the problem or the solution - just a feeling of weight lifted and a problem solved. I still don't know what it was but the feeling of resolution has remained." Fran Gilbert, Tallahassee, Florida